All the Cool Kids use Shakers

I'm starting this thread because the Shaker Alternatives thread was starting to turn into a thread about shakers, and not their alternatives, which kind of misses the point of the thread. I did a search for a thread just for shakers and was shocked to not find one! So here you go, a lovely thread to talk shakers, post pictures of shakers, what have you.

Sweet Daddy's Shakers.

The "A" List:

The one on the left - etched starbursts - is my favorite. You may recognize the one on the right from my fabulous drawing of it.

The others:

Smaller shakers without lids, in a variety of sizes. I use 'em to hold straws, swizzles, chopsticks, etc. or sometimes as serving glasses for milkshakes, etc.

-Sweet Daddy T.
Because crap doesn't buy itself.

blog

[ Edited by: Sweet Daddy Tiki 2008-09-18 01:43 ]

NICE collection SDT!

I haven't seen any worth bringing home yet, however my martini glass collection has been growing steadily. I find that guests like to be able to pick their own. Or I just give 'em all something different, like the tiki mugs.

Back to the topic - Shakers are great, they have history to them, and they're functional!

Thanks for posting the pics.

Thanks Tikiwahine. Why don't you post pictures of your Martini glasses?

I use a Hazel Atlas Pink Elephants shaker.

Here's the one on Ebay.

Metak shakers with markings on them are retarded. What good are markings to mix a drink when you can't see hwo much is in there? In a bar, you have to use metal for safety reasons. At home, I prefer glass.

Here is my cocktail shaker collection that is steadily being infiltrated by an overflow in tiki mugs and other assorted old stuff...

...I rarely use any of the glass shakers. I lost a nice vintage Anchor Hocking shaker when it slipped out of my hands years ago and I've been scared to use glass ever since. On a daily basis I use the "Dial-A-Matic" metal shaker my wife bought me for Christmas 8 years ago. In the third pic you’ll notice the Hazel Atlas cobalt/sailboat shaker set that I got for a real steal ($25.00 for all the pieces!) and one of my all-time favorites... I had a party guest a couple years ago decide that he wanted to mix up his own drinks and use this shaker - I didn't mind that he wanted to try his hand at bartending but why in the hell did he have to pick this one? The shaker survived fine but wouldn't you know it... the lid seized up and I nearly lost my mind trying to get it back off! Then finally with the aid of hot soapy water, a block of 2X4 and a very non-delicate hammer I got it off again - I was afraid it was going to end in tragedy but thankfully it didn’t.

That's some collection John! Is that an orginal penguin shaker? They make them new but I would love to have one of the originals.

I have a lot of the glass recipe shakers, and the cobalt blue one with silver fish, but my collection is pretty meager.

I also use the dial-o-matic metal shaker most of the time. It has a large capacity, and since metal gets colder much faster then glass it chills the drink more quickly so I prefer metal over glass.

I usually measure with a jigger so it doesn't matter to me if the shaker has measuring marks on it. But sometimes I'll use a large marked measuring glass when making a batch, then I use a metal mixing can over the top, tap it to seal, shake, and strain with a strainer.

9 times outta 10 I end up grabbing the blue plastic Chilis Restaurant freebie shaker when my wife asks me to make her a drink.

I love the vintage shakers, I had a nice set of 'cocktail time' highball glasses, and I've seen a shaker that matches but it was super pricey. After our wedding I went looking for a nice vintage cocktail shaker set, for our friend who married us. I could only find sets that were several hundred bucks, so I gave her six of my vintage glasses, (they were a buck each at a thrift store in Cleveland about 12 years ago) and I'm pretty glad I didn't spend the money on the shaker, by the next time I went to her house, her housemates had broken 2 of the glasses :(
what dopes! I was watching Queer Eye 'best of' recently and they had gotten this guy a really sweet vintage shaker, and martini set, and the QE guys were saying 'that set has never been used, it cost $500..." and as they were saying it, the straight guy completely spazzed and dropped the shaker, on top of the glasses and broke everything. JEEEEEZ. It was very sad.

I just caught that part of that episode last night! I almost cried. lol

On 2005-07-18 13:17, thejab wrote:
Is that an orginal penguin shaker? They make them new but I would love to have one of the originals.

Don't I wish! :) Unfortunately it's a reproduction. I really went overboard when I started collecting shakers about 10 years ago... I bought every glass shaker that remotely appealed to me not to mention all the accompanying glasses, ice buckets, swizzle sticks, bar gadgets, etc. What you see in the cabinet is probably only half of what I've amassed - the others are wrapped in paper and packed away in the basement. Some of my favorites...

Made by Hocking Glass circa 1930's... I found the shaker at a flea market with a stuck lid for $2.00! The glasses I actually paid a lot for! I arrived late at an auction and the auctioneer wasn't getting any action on the glasses so he decided to throw these in with a box of other junk. I objected saying I only wanted the cocktail glasses but the auctioneer didn't care; the place does big business with antique dealers and there are tables piled up with junk which they allow you to dig through and make your own lots while starting the bidding super low. And wouldn't you know it, some asshole started bidding on the coffee mugs or whatever crap was thrown in and before I knew it I was in a bidding war for the Sweet Ad-aline glasses! When the bidding got up to $20, which is virtually unheard of at this place, I started getting pissed and vowed to myself to rescue the glasses no matter what the price. Luckily he backed off at around $26.00 and I won the glasses. Afterwards I wanted to take the cocktail cups out of the box and right in front of the auctioneer dump the rest of the contents on the floor but I decided not to.

I know this has slipped far away from Tiki Drinks and Food but I just wanted to share...

JohnTiki

Aloha from the enchanted Pi Yi Grotto in exotic Bel Air Maryland!

[ Edited by: johntiki 2005-07-19 15:24 ]

Not vintage, but I'm with TikiWahine--IKEA's Groggy is one of my go-to shakers. Being shaker-opening-impaired, the seal on the glass was the big selling point for me.

My other fave is the Ultimo 24-Ounce Cocktail Shaker. It has a seal on the cover so it's easy to open, and the rubber grip on the outside keeps even a clutz like me from losing my hold. (Guess it wouldn't matter too much with this one since it's not very delicate--probably would be better on the Groggy glass...)

Well my favorite shaker is not vintage nor is it tiki but I like it! It's a polar bear shaker and I found it at one of those discount stores like Marshalls or TJ Maxx. This is the only pic I have and it's packed away in a box for the next week or so.

I just picked up a vintage shaker at the Sally Ann - only a dollar cause it was missing the lid. I looked on Ebay for stray lids but no luck - I guess the lids are rarer than the glass bottoms. The one I got has multicoloured maple leaves on it.

Anyone got any spare lids?

I have a great vintage collection of glass shakers with aluminum lids and was soo frustrated during a Christmas party when I was mixing drinks and the lids did not come off!! Help, is there a trick? I don't want to break down and buy a new shaker. I love my vintage shakers.

Tigerlily --

If it is a glass shaker with an aluminum top, tap the shaker gently against a hard edge of the bar, then try to twist it off.

If it is an all-aluminum shaker, rap the shaker rather smartly against the side of the bar, then twist the top off.

I was with a professional bartender at an outdoors party, helping him make drinks, and whenever he ran into a balky shaker he would just smack it against the nearby fence to get it loose.

Here is a few really old Shakers, from Ohio I think...

Which one is the man?

You certainly recognize Granny from Beverly Hillbilly's, right? The other one was my 3rd grade teacher...she has cost me thousands in therapy.

I use a stainless steel milkshake mixer cup with a commercial pint glass. If it ever happens to break, so what. The old collectable glass shakers with aluminum lids never really worked well when new and they sure don't work with a little age and corrosion on them so they stay on a display shelf. Just go to a restaurant and bar supply store and load up on cheap measuring jiggers, bar spoons, pourers, muddlers, shake tins, glassware etc. If they require you to have an account, to give them something to put in the computer, just say you are a new caterer and do not have a tax number yet. Works like a charm. Plus, this stuff lasts forever in the home since it is designed for commercial use in bars.

I got this beauty today at Value Village for a sawbuck, including the 6 matching glasses.

-Sweet Daddy T.
Because crap doesn't buy itself.

[ Edited by: Sweet Daddy Tiki 2006-06-22 23:22 ]

Is this the Value Village in Mesa Az? .or could it be there is a 'Value Village' in EVERY LARGE TOWN in the U.S.?

mmm.............could be.....

One of the Edmonton ones, bbm. There are Value Village/Savers stores all over Canada, the U.S. and Australia.

... a selection of shakers and accessories new and old, ARGGGGGGH! I'm short of space so I'm not only out of new shelf space but am packing additional stuff away because it's too crowded in the bar!

Wow, nice collection. What is that big one there in the middle, about the size of a small pumpkin?

Is that an ice bucket?

Also, I see a hand-crank ice crusher. Love it, love it.

On 2006-08-02 16:26, GatorRob wrote:
Wow, nice collection. What is that big one there in the middle, about the size of a small pumpkin?

I recognize that as the classic penguin ice bucket.

It's a standard item all home bars should have.

..sbim

Yes its a penguin hot-cold server to keep casseroles warm or use as an ice bucket, I shelled out 20 bux for one once but have since found 2 more for 12 bux or so, pretty easy to find for cheap with persistence. I have a collection of daisy rocket shaped hand crank crushers too, I'll get some more stuff out and do another pic. Thanks for the interest.

I just bought the Tiki Farm 'Cobbler' style shaker:

And although it was easy to shake with, I found that I couldn't strain the liquid nearly fast enough. It does have a nice large capacity for bigger drinks, and it's quite swank with those grip-able ceramic tikis on either side.

I was hoping to make a permanent switch to a capped model to speed up the shaking/straining process, but instead I still prefer my cheap Ikea Groggy 'Boston' style shaker(seen below) with my expensive Villeroy & Bosch Strainer.

On 2005-07-01 12:48, Tikiwahine wrote:
This is the one I use.

"Groggy" shaker from Ikea.

It's cheap but does the job nicely, and the glass part has a rubber rim that seals but releases fairly easily.

The sensations are part of the whole mixing experience for me; the cold of the metal, the clink of the ice, the drips, yes, sometimes there are drips. All part of the territory. :) If you don't come out wet and sticky, what's the point? :wink:

And now! See me wet and sticky, LIVE! at the Jet City Junket, this September right around the time of Tiki Art Now 3 in Seattle.

On 2006-08-16 10:13, Tikiwahine wrote:
I just bought the Tiki Farm 'Cobbler' style shaker:

...

This may seem like a silly question....

If you look at the picture from Tikiwahine, the top fits INto the shaker. The last shaker I used where the top fit in like that had me wearing as much of the cocktail as I what I poured. I now have the same Groggy from Ikea that I love as well as a more traditional shaker that has a top that fits ONto the shaker, the top covers the bottom.

So, my question is... Am I just an idiot when it comes to shaking a drink or have any of you had the problem with leaks and spills from your shaker when the top fits into the base versus when the top fits over the base.

I use my groggy upside-down so the top fits into the base. When I tried to do it the proper way(with the glass on the bottom) I made a big mess.
But I'm weird that way. Maybe it has something to do with being left-handed?

Chip&Andy, don't you still have to invert the whole mess when you go to strain from the metal side?

On 2006-08-16 10:57, Chip and Andy wrote:
So, my question is... Am I just an idiot when it comes to shaking a drink or have any of you had the problem with leaks and spills from your shaker when the top fits into the base versus when the top fits over the base.

I don't use a Boston shaker, but whenever I see a respectible bartender use one, they always give the glass a good smack down with their palm to form the seal before shaking. And the seal is so great after shaking that they have to smack on the side of the glass (either with their palm or on the side of the counter) to break the seal. With a seal that strong, it shouldn't leak. But like I said, I'm a wuss and use a standard shaker.

On 2006-08-17 12:54, GatorRob wrote:

On 2006-08-16 10:57, Chip and Andy wrote:
So, my question is... Am I just an idiot when it comes to shaking a drink or have any of you had the problem with leaks and spills from your shaker when the top fits into the base versus when the top fits over the base.

I don't use a Boston shaker, but whenever I see a respectible bartender use one, they always give the glass a good smack down with their palm to form the seal before shaking. And the seal is so great after shaking that they have to smack on the side of the glass (either with their palm or on the side of the counter) to break the seal. With a seal that strong, it shouldn't leak. But like I said, I'm a wuss and use a standard shaker.

You can break the glass that way and cut your hand severely, so it is not a good idea. The preferred way is to hold the glass firmly on the bottom with the glass part on the top end and twist. That way if it breaks it just ruins the drink and you won't have to go to the hospital.

On 2006-08-16 11:01, Tikiwahine wrote:
I use my groggy upside-down so the top fits into the base. When I tried to do it the proper way(with the glass on the bottom) I made a big mess.
But I'm weird that way. Maybe it has something to do with being left-handed?

Chip&Andy, don't you still have to invert the whole mess when you go to strain from the metal side?

I don't have any problems with the Boston Shaker, I love it. But sometimes you want something a little prettier when you pour, like the one in your picture....

The problem I run into is the top fits into the bottom, so when you shake (I usually shake hard) it leaks and I wind up wearing a good deal of the cocktail. Then, when I pour, it drips out and spills around the edges of the top. I have to pull the top off and then apply a strainer, kind of ruining the effect of having a pretty shaker in the first place..... I will see if I can get some pics of what I am talking about, maybe show-and-tell will help.....

On 2006-08-17 13:42, Chip and Andy wrote:
The problem I run into is the top fits into the bottom, so when you shake (I usually shake hard) it leaks and I wind up wearing a good deal of the cocktail. Then, when I pour, it drips out and spills around the edges of the top. I have to pull the top off and then apply a strainer, kind of ruining the effect of having a pretty shaker in the first place..... I will see if I can get some pics of what I am talking about, maybe show-and-tell will help.....

I had that problem too, messy & slow. The holes in the top are such a good idea, they just need to re-design the whole thing.

I'd be much happier with a shaker like our groggy one, that has tikis on either side. maybe etched in? with tapa bands across the top & bottom?
you listening tiki farm?

On 2006-08-17 13:19, thejab wrote:
You can break the glass that way and cut your hand severely, so it is not a good idea. The preferred way is to hold the glass firmly on the bottom with the glass part on the top end and twist. That way if it breaks it just ruins the drink and you won't have to go to the hospital.

Sorry, I got it backwards! I meant the metal half gets smacked down to seal it and then after shaking, the metal half is gently smacked on the side to break the seal. That's the way I've watched the pros do it anyway.

EDIT: I was curious, so pulled a few other bartending video clips I have and they're all different. Some smack it, some twist. Twisting does sound less dangerous, if less flashy.

[ Edited by: GatorRob 2006-08-17 15:03 ]

I think I twist slightly to begin, then smack it gently on the counter if there's any hint of being stubborn when it's time to release.

Boy, I hope no one quotes me out of context.

I love vintage shakers and have a few but they're little use for mixing cocktails.

I watched Alton Brown's recent episode on cocktails -- including Daquiris -- and he recommended a Boston shaker. I bought a nice one at Williams Sonoma but couldn't get used to smacking it to open the seal.

Then I tried this one from OXO and I think it's the best. It's a cobbler but the top seals to the bottom nicely and the tapered straining nozzle makes accurate pouring a breeze. No drips or slips. The rubberized cap stays on snugly during shaking, and the bottom half is insulated, so you only feel the cold building up through the strainer top, making the shaker easy to hold as your drink gets colder. You can get this one for around $25.

[ Edited by: TraderPeg 2006-10-01 12:08 ]

[ Edited by: TraderPeg 2006-10-01 12:09 ]

I'm still using my trusty (and dented) plain ol' capped metal shaker handed down to me by my dad (who bought it around 1963).
Speaking of plain, here's a rather bland glass shaker I have with recipes printed

...until you put the fully automatic stirrer cap on! (one C battery not included)

It's incredibly useless (I get a better mix-up by hand), but it's a neat novelty and keeps my battery-operated swizzle-stick company...

Traderpeg, I agree with you regarding the OXO shaker. I got mine from a thrift shop real cheap and have been using it ever since. I have about 4 or 5 other ones but this one is the best.

Twitch, there's nothing like using an old tool with history, that's for sure.

Some of these cool old mixing glasses make good pint beer glasses for the bar, and keep doing their duty that way.

Here's to the old stuff we love, and the new stuff that works great! :)

On 2006-08-16 10:57, Chip and Andy wrote:
If you look at the picture from Tikiwahine, the top fits INto the shaker. The last shaker I used where the top fit in like that had me wearing as much of the cocktail as I what I poured.
...
So, my question is... Am I just an idiot when it comes to shaking a drink or have any of you had the problem with leaks and spills from your shaker when the top fits into the base versus when the top fits over the base.

ruh roh, I just got one like that:

Hope I'm not in for a mess!

I used to buy the "Boston" type shakers, and when I did, would not buy any of them without taking it to the bathroom and doing a test over the sink with water. Some of the nicer Boston shakers I've seen are more for show and really leak around the top. So I eventually switched completely to using 28oz shakers and pint glasses.

The secret to using a 28oz tin and a pint glass is to ensure that the two, when mated, have one edge completely on the same plane vertically. That is to say, the "cap" pint glass on one side is exactly straight with the bottom shaker tin. You get a nice tight (and sort of an oval) seal in the tin if you give the "cap" a good downward hit before you begin to shake. Then when you are done, you give the pint glass a solid slap from the side to ensure it breaks the seal free. Practice a bit, then you'll look like many of the pros. I'm guessing there are YouTube videos out there about this.

I'm going to switch to using weighted shakers -- 28oz capacity with a 93mm opening for the mixing tin, and 18oz capacity for the cap. They're very inexpensive from one of the online bar supply stores who manufacture their own shakers overseas. Today these are priced at $2.22 for the weighted tin, and $2.68 for the weighted cap. This is a good deal! I like to keep five of each handy at my bar in case I make a drink which has components not easily rinsed from the tins in the course of an evening, like drinks which are shaken with Coco Lopez and contain natural coconut oil. The stainless shaker combo has the advantage of not using glass which could be dropped and shatter, or be set down too aggressively, or be fumbled, on granite bar tops and also shatter.

Weighted vs. non-weighted is a topic for a whole new post, and it is a personal preference.

One more thing, the stainless tins tend to stack nicely, and this is important for compactness reasons in my portable bartending road kit when I go out to spread my liquid happiness.

Hope that explanation is clear and that these things help.

YEars later, still using the same glass shaker. You always want the top to fit over the shaker, not into, to avoid the leaking Chip mentions.

An added bonus of a glass shaker is you can get things colder. I mostly just shake daiquiris these days and when I do, I want to shake it until it is crazy cold. I can shake it until that lid is near frozen solid. The glass end doesn't get so cold and I can keep shaking. If it was metal, I'd have to have a towel on both ends, which isn't a horrible thing, but glass makes it easier.

I agree, glass is good. I had a nice one once, too, but fumbled it in the sink and broke it.

Someday I hope they will make reasonably priced stainless double-walled shakers with both the shaker tin itself and the "cap" tin double-walled as well. The durability of stainless is nice for us clumsy folks.

The downside to shaking too much is over-dilution of the drink. But no matter what shaker you use, you must come to develop a sense for how much ice to use and how much to shake.

My $.02, but I've gone with stainless for both ends of the shaker. I've had a couple of instances where the glass breaks during shaking, which is not only dangerous (which I don't mind), but makes a huge mess (which I do mind!). Had it happen in the back of the Mai Kai and had to toss a entire 50 gal drum of ice because glass pieces got into it. You can also squeeze a stainless tin, which helps when you go to break the seal. They also don't break like glass. They can also be used as a poor man's mint julep or mule cup!

Make sure you get the right size, though. They sell two sizes and the smaller size (16 oz) drops too far into a standard bottom tin to be of any use.

As far as weighted, I guess I'm much lazier than AceExplorer, scratch that, I KNOW I'm much lazier than he is, so the extra weight doesn't do anything for me!

Good notes, TikiHardBop! From my reading online, it's the 18oz shaker tins which fit well into the 28oz shakers and make a good high seal.

Very nice tip to use the top shakers as julep cups.

I make a lot of my drinks nowadays in a top down mixer but mai tai's, daiquiris, and certain other drinks should always be shaken. I just recently bought my first Boston shaker after having always used stainless cobblers. It took a little practice but I'm so glad for the transition. Once you figure out the technique of sealing and releasing the glass from the metal tin, it's so much faster and easier than trying to pry the top off a cobbler shaker once it's gotten ice cold. That said, if I'm making something that needs to be strained (such as a daiquiri), to me it's easier to just release the cap off the cobbler and use the built in strainer than it is to grab a Hawthorn strainer to put over the Boston shaker.

I paid $15 for the Boston shaker at World Market. The pint glass had a rubber ring around the top but I found that whenever I smacked the tin down over the glass, the rubber surround would shift and not keep the seal. So I just took that off and use the glass directly against the tin and have not had any trouble thus far. A few days ago I was in a Restaurant Depot and saw they sold metal tins and glass pint glasses separately for like $3 each. And at a liquor/supply store they sold the tins on their own for a whopping $16. That's a crazy mark up. The sizes all seem to be the same between the three places. Any idea why there's such a discrepancy in pricing?